Save Your Baby From Respiratory Illnesses

It's always a joyous occasion to witness the birth of a new baby.
Relations, friends and acquaintances bask in the euphoria of another
miracle of nature, as they behold the infant in all his helplessness.

But despite the amazing joy that greets a new addition to the family,
new mothers would tell you that caring for newborns can be a Herculean
task. This is because the first three months of the baby's life
matters a great deal, as the parents try their best to protect their
newborn from the elements.

Even at that, there is sometimes hardly much to celebrate until the
baby is at least 60 months old, when medical experts believe that the
chances of his living to adulthood would have been improved by more
than 85 per cent, barring all odds.

The fear of a baby dying before s/he reaches age five is real. This is
because before this magical age, babies are susceptible to
life-threatening infections, and parents and health workers don't
consider their jobs done until the baby survives past his/her fifth
birthday.

Although global under-five mortality rate dropped by 47 per cent since
1990, the World Health Organisation notes that globally, 6.6 million
children under age five still died in 2012 alone, translating into
nearly 18,000 child deaths per day!

Physicians describe childhood mortality as the death of a child before
his/her fifth birthday. Scientists say for every 1,000 babies that are
born, six die during their first year. They say most of these babies
die because they are born with a serious birth defect, or because they
are born too small and too early - in other words, they are born
before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Babies may also die as a result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or if
they are affected by maternal complications of pregnancy, and if they
are victims of injuries.

But beyond these, there are other problems that can result in the
death of under-five, and they include the following.
Pneumonia

Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Ruth Oseghale, says though anyone can
develop pneumonia, some groups are at greater risk. "These include
babies and toddlers, especially babies that were born prematurely,"
Oseghale says.

While this infection can strike anytime, the paediatrician warns that
it usually shows up during cold and rainy season, especially after the
child may have been exposed to cold or other upper respiratory
infection.

She also notes that certain viruses such as respiratory syncytial
virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and the flu virus are
responsible for pneumonia, and they could make a child really sick as
to require emergency intervention.

What to do: if your child is sick, take him/her to the hospital.
However, in order to save your baby from this preventable illness,
experts recommend the following:

Keep vaccinations up to date. Take the Hib, DTaP, MMR, flu for
children at least six months old; as well as chicken pox and
pneumococcal vaccines.

"All of these vaccinations can help prevent pneumonia. And if your
child's vaccination is not up-to-date, discuss with your paediatrician
on the way forward," Oseghale counsels.

Also, you need to practise good personal hygiene by washing your hands
and your child's hands often to prevent the spread of germs.

"Viral respiratory tract infections spread when children's hands come
into contact with nasal secretions from an infected person. That's why
you don't let your child share cups or utensils; regularly clean all
the places germy body parts might touch, such as the phone, toys,
doorknobs, and the refrigerator door handle," the physician further
advises.

And if there's something you must never permit around your child, it
is smoking. Physicians say if you or your spouse smokes, do it outside
and ask your visitors to do the same.

Scientists say studies have shown that children who live around
cigarette smoke, even for short periods, get sick more often and are
more susceptible to pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, asthma,
and ear infections.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Researchers warn that the disease burden from respiratory infection is
greater than that of any other cause of disease among the under-five
babies and that in 2002, 18 per cent of death among children younger
than five years of age was caused by respiratory infections.

Nearly all children would be infected by the time they are four years
old, researchers warn, with many of them actually getting infected the
first year of life.